Mindfulness: Is It Just A Buzzword & Ways To Integrate It Into Your Daily Life

Mindfulness – what is it?

“Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.”

It is definitely a buzzword that’s been circulating the internet for a little while now, however it is something that has really benefited my life since learning about how to practice it.

My introduction to mindfulness was through yoga. At the end of the class we would meditate and it really opened my eyes to something I had never really experienced before. The way it left me feeling mentally made me realise what a powerful tool mindfulness and meditation could be if I added it into my life.

So towards the end of 2017 I decided I wanted to learn more about it so that I could help others. I created a free 7 day e-course which explains the basics of mindfulness and some tips on how to use it in your everyday life. SIGN UP HERE.

I have also created my own e-book which goes into a lot more detail about mindfulness, how it can help your mental health, and there are exercises you can follow so you can experience the mindfulness practice for yourself. It is now available for just £5 and you can buy it HERE.

So how can you integrate mindfulness into your everyday life? There are many different principals within mindfulness, but I have made the list below so that it is accessible for everybody to incorporate it into every day:

DO LESS

Do you find yourself running around all the time and having little time for what you actually want to do? Maybe it is time to sit down and look at your daily routines and what you can change. We get so wrapped up in being busy that we forget to make time for what makes us feel happy and relaxed.

Say no more – a lot of us are people pleasers and love to put others before ourselves, however this can be unhealthy. If something makes you feel anxious then say no to it! If you would rather stay in watching a movie when your friend wants to go clubbing, you have every right to say no.

DO ONE THING AT A TIME

Multi-tasking is something we can be quite good at. However, do you find your brain is elsewhere when you are trying to focus on a particular task in hand? I certainly do.

To help focus on one thing at a time, trying scheduling your day into small chunks and dedicate those different time periods to chores or projects that need doing. That way you will know you will be focusing on them at some point so you don;t have to feel guilty about not doing it straight away.

BE IN THE PRESENT

Staying the present is the backbone of mindfulness, and it is also something I have learnt the importance of through counselling. Living your life in fear of the future or disappointment of the past can really shit all over your quality of life. I did it for many years and it is something I am still actively working on right now.

Bad events or traumas can stick in our heads like a broken record. However if you manage to get past that or even acknowledge that, that is when you can move on and find more peace in the present moment.

BE GRATEFUL

Take a look at your life and think about what makes you happy. Do you have a roof over your head? Be grateful for that. Are you in good health? That is also something to be grateful for. A grateful mind is a more positive one by default, and who doesn’t want to feel positive?

A great exercise to practice gratitude is to write down three things you are grateful for at the end of every day, or even in the morning. It will get you thinking about what is good in your life even on your darkest days.